The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-11-20
The Tail End of Creation,

In the National Library at Paris there is
Seventeenth-ccntury map OF South Amer
lea, drawn by the Jesuit missionaries. On
Patagonia, as delineated in this chart, In
dams, guanacos and ostriches are exhibited
with the figure OF an Indian possessing q
most curious prolongation OF the backbone,
explained by the inscription, CdudaH h0mines
hic-here are men with tails.
Half dozen years ago Chilli and the Ar
gentine Republic quarrelled over the ques-
ton of the ownership OF Terra del Fuego,
and almost went to war. The dispute was
settled by convention dividing this mys-
FERROUS island into two nearly equal por-
tions. Chilli took the western and the
Argentine Government the eastern half
Since that time both countries have made
efforts to ascertain something about the
topography, natural resources, and ethnol-
ogy OF the land which the Jesuit fathers sup
posed to be inhabited by tailed men, and
which successive generations OF sailors
credulous travellers, and romance makers
have peopled with cannbals, fan
tastically shaped beasts of prey, and
strange marine monsters, ever since
MAGELLAN sailed In 1920 through the strait
that bears his name. No quarter Of the
globe where men can live has been made
responsible for more marvels than Terra del
Fuego. DARWIN actually seems to have gone
down there hoping to discover the missing
link between tho man and the monkey.
The recent and most accurate information
about this forlorn tail end of the continent,
where CHARLES DARWIN found savages whom
he could hardly believe to be fellow crea-
lures and inhabitants Of the same world" has
been summed up by Consul BAKER OF Buenos
Ayres In q very interesting report to the De-
partment Of State. Mr.. BAKERS principal au-
thorities are Lieut.. BovE Of the French navy,
who visited the southeastern part of the
island five years ago under the patronage of
the Argentine Government; the Rev. THOMAS
BRIDGES, the English missionary, who has
lived on Beagle Channel for quarter OF
century; Don RAMON LIsTA, a member OF
the Geographical Society Of Buenos Ayres,
and MIR. JULIUS Pepper, a scientific gentle
man who has just crossed the island and
thoroughly explored its eastern coast In the
interest OF o mining company.
Although all OF these accounts come from
Argentine rather than CHILEAN sources, it
seems quite clear that the former Govern
ment got the better half OF tho island The
total area Of the several ISLANDS comprising
the group is about equal to that OF the State
OF Kansas. While Terra del Fuego is by
no means appropriately styled the land OF
fire, the climate is far from being as
inhospitahle as the old explorers repre-
sented. Don RAMON LIsTA asserts that
the northeastern region enjoys an agree
able temperature with very little snow in the
winter" The country further south he COM
pares to Switzerland. Mr.. BRIDGES says
that frosts are almost unknown in the humid
regions OF tile western part. There Is u d.
vsrsity of climate, owing to difference of ele-
walton and other conditions. but ON the whole
we gather that the island Is as habItable as
Maine or Minnesota; certainly NO bleaker
than Newfoundland.
Rich valleys. magnificant, foresta nAxiaA-